Finance
‘Spring cleaning’ for your finances: 12 money moves to make right now
Allworth Advice: Some 401(k)s are not like others
Amy Wagner with Allworth Financial discusses whether a 401(k) is the best retirement plan.
Allworth Financial, Cincinnati Enquirer
Spring cleaning can mean tidying up your wallet or pocketbook, as well as your closet.
In the spirit of renewal, here are 12 financial moves you should make this spring. Some are annual rituals, or should be. Others are tasks we tend to put off, but shouldn’t.
1. Revisit your resolutions
Many of us set New Year’s resolutions for 2024 around spending and saving, borrowing and earning, but fewer of us followed through on them.
“For a lot of people, a top money goal was paying off credit card debt or starting an emergency fund,” said Kimberly Palmer, a personal finance expert at NerdWallet. Spring is “the perfect time to see if you’re making any progress,” she said.
And what if you’ve made zero progress?
“For those of us who fell off track, there’s something called a reset button,” said Ashley Folkes, a certified financial planner in Birmingham, Alabama. “Spring offers the perfect opportunity to restart where we left off, without dwelling on regrets.”
2. Clean your financial ‘junk drawer’
Spring offers a chance to sort through that drawer – or box, or unused corner of the dining room table — where you stash financial paperwork to deal with on some unspecified future date.
“You know the one I’m talking about, where you toss all your statements and bills, intending to sort them out later,” Folkes said.
Working through the neglected papers is a great way to ease financial stress, he said. Throw some away. File some away. Deal with the rest, one way or another.
3. Start a 2024 tax folder
Speaking of papers: If you haven’t already, consider setting up a folder to stow all your tax documents for 2024: receipts, donation forms, and anything else you need to report or plan to deduct. Better still, set up one real folder, and another on your laptop, says Jeff Farrar, a certified financial planner in Shelton, Connecticut.
This tip comes from Jeff Farrar, a certified financial planner in Shelton, Connecticut.
4. Watch that withholding
While you’re at it, look at your W-4 form and make sure you are withholding the right amount of your paycheck.
“Since taxes are on our mind, with April 15 coming, why not get better prepared for next year’s taxes?” Farrar said.
Will you get a refund next year, or will you owe? Most of us have a lot more control over that question than we think, said Jeff Jones, CEO of H&R Block. You may want to reap a large tax refund to help your family’s cash flow. You may prefer to limit your withholding so that you hold onto more of your paycheck until tax time. The decision is yours.
“In general, you can actually control the outcome,” he said. “We try to remind people, it’s really a choice you can make.”
Most of us have fairly predictable income. Take a look at your last few tax returns. Study the pattern. Are your earnings trending up, or down? Then, consult a tax professional.
Taxpayers straightforward returns “can be in much more control if they just get some expert help and think about withholding changes on their W-4 at the beginning of each year,” Jones said.
5. Talk to your tax preparer
More broadly, spring is a great time to have a conversation with the person who prepares your taxes.
“Aside from housing, taxes are most people’s largest annual expense, so it deserves more attention than pulling together your W-2 and 1099s” and sending them in, said David Flores Wilson, a certified financial planner in New York.
“Our advice is to have a thoughtful, proactive conversation with an accountant, CPA, or financial planner after the spring tax deadline so that you can strategize what you can do the rest of the year to lower your taxes prior to next spring,” he said. “Perhaps there are deductions or credits you weren’t aware of.”
6. Max out your retirement plan
You can contribute to an IRA up to April 15 and have the money count toward your 2023 savings. The contribution limit for 2023 is $6,500 if you’re under 50, $7,500 if you’re older.
Even better, get an early start on contributing to your IRA for 2024. The longer the money sits in your retirement account, the longer it can accrue interest.
“There is a 15-month window to make IRA contributions for any given year,” said Mary Ryan, a certified financial planner at Vanguard. “The earlier you make it, the more you benefit from the compounding effect,” earning interest both on the money you’ve saved and on the interest it has already reaped.
Spring is also a good time to challenge yourself to contribute to a workplace 401(k), Wilson said.
Those plans have higher contribution limits: $23,000 in 2024, plus an extra $7,500 if you’re 50 or older.
“Maxing out 401(k) contributions can lower your taxes and get you closer to financial independence,” Wilson said. “Our advice is to marginally increase your contributions every couple of months, up to a level that’s uncomfortable, then back off a little.”
Not saving for retirement? Now is a good time to start.
“Even if you can only save a little right now, getting started is very important, because you want to give your retirement savings time to grow,” said Terri Fiedler, president of retirement services at Corebridge Financial, a financial services company in Houston. “Ideally, you’ll be contributing enough to at least maximize what your employer will match. And if you’re not there yet, look for opportunities to increase your contributions over time.”
7. Name your beneficiaries
Most retirement plans and life insurance policies include beneficiaries: The folks who get the money if you die.
Many of us procrastinate in naming them. In the spirit of spring cleaning, why not name them now?
8. Dust off your estate plan
Speaking of beneficiaries: Anyone with an estate plan should review it every year, or at least any year when a major life event plays out, like a job change, marriage, divorce or arrival of a new child, experts advise.
“An estate plan isn’t something you can set and forget,” Ryan said.
Consider whether you need to update any part of the plan, including your beneficiaries.
9. Book your 2025 vacation in 2024
Setting up vacation plans a year early saves money and gives you more choice of flights and lodgings, experts say. And then there’s the psychological value.
“Studies have shown the anticipation of a vacation is half the psychic value you get out of it,” Farrar said. “So, enjoy this summer’s family vacation, but put next year’s on the calendar, as well.”
While you’re at it, he said, “dig out your passport and check the expiration date. Nothing worse than getting ready for an international vacation and realizing your passport is about to expire.”
10. Review your investment portfolio
“You don’t need to monitor your portfolio on a daily basis,” Farrar said, but spring is an ideal time to review your asset allocation and make sure it suits your needs.
Your mix of stocks, bonds and other investments can drift over time, and your portfolio objectives change.
“Check to see if your allocation of stocks vs. bonds is where you want it to be,” said Maureen Demers, a certified financial planner in North Andover, Massachusetts.
11. Invest in high-yield savings
Yields on savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts and other savings vehicles have been up for the last year or two, along with interest rates generally.
Yet, many people “are still holding large cash balances in suboptimal, low-yielding vehicles,” Wilson said.
If your savings isn’t earning 5% annual interest, or close to it, consider transferring the balance into a high-yield account.
Growing debt: Our credit card balances threaten to swamp our savings. Here’s how to deal with both
12. Check your credit card
Credit card debt is rising, along with credit card interest rates. Now is a good time to take a good look at your card, especially if you carry a balance from month to month, Palmer said. The key question: “Are you paying more interest than you realize?”
Credit card rates change over time, and lately, they’ve been going up.
If the APR on your card is rising, Palmer said, then it might be a good time to shop around for a new card.
Daniel de Visé covers personal finance for USA TODAY
Digital payments are becoming an increasingly common part of everyday life in Uzbekistan, helping bring more consumers into the formal financial system and increasing demand for services beyond basic transactions.
According to a financial inclusion survey conducted by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan with support from the Asian Development Bank, 71.17% of respondents reported making or receiving at least one digital payment in 2025, compared with 39% in 2021.
The increase follows several years of policies aimed at expanding financial inclusion, encouraging electronic payments and introducing digital tools such as remote identification systems for banking customers.
Interviews conducted by Euronews on the sidelines of the Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF) suggest that the rapid adoption of digital payments is now beginning to influence wider parts of the financial sector, from lending and insurance to investment products and banking services for businesses.
Digital payments enter the mainstream
Industry executives point to a combination of demographic, technological and regulatory factors behind the growth of digital financial services.
Nikolay Seleznyov, co-founder of Uzum, a company active in e-commerce, digital payments and financial services, said the expansion is bringing more people into the banking system.
“More and more people are becoming bank customers. And this trend is irreversible.”
Oliver Hughes, chairman of TBC Uzbekistan, a digital bank operating through the TBC UZ and Payme applications, pointed to the country’s young population and widespread use of mobile technology as factors supporting the shift towards digital services.
The trend is also affecting established lenders. Dmitry Sapronov, deputy chairman of Ipoteka Bank, which became part of Hungary’s OTP Group in 2023, said customer demand for digital services has increased significantly in recent years, requiring banks to rethink how they deliver products and interact with clients.
Regulation and infrastructure
Executives said the growth of digital finance has been supported by both regulatory changes and investment in digital infrastructure.
The Central Bank and other institutions have introduced measures aimed at expanding financial inclusion and encouraging electronic payments, while digital identification systems have made it easier for consumers to access banking products remotely.
“The digital ID product was one of the biggest enablers here for all the players in the financial services industry,” Seleznyov said.
Anne Arundel County is preparing to launch a new finance and e-procurement system to modernize county operations and improve how businesses interact with local government.
The new platform, called Harbor, is scheduled to go live in July and will replace the County’s legacy procurement system with a centralized cloud-based platform built on Oracle Fusion Cloud.
County officials say the new system is designed to streamline procurement and financial processes while making it easier for both existing and prospective vendors to do business with the County.
From the press release:
“Harbor is a much-needed upgrade that will streamline services for our county agencies and those who do business with the county,” said Anne Arundel County Chief Administrative Officer Christine Anderson.
The platform will serve as a single portal for supplier registration, bid opportunities, invoicing, payment tracking, and contract management, consolidating what had previously been spread across multiple systems. County leaders say the transition is part of a broader effort to modernize operations, improve efficiency, and lower barriers for businesses seeking to compete for county contracts.
For counties, procurement modernization remains an important operational priority as local governments look to improve transparency, strengthen vendor engagement, and simplify access for businesses of all sizes. Anne Arundel County has encouraged interested suppliers to review training materials and registration information ahead of the July launch.
Finance
Quadient Recognized as a Leader in the 2026 SPARK Matrix for Accounts Receivable Applications
Quadient demonstrates continued innovation in AI-driven invoice-to-cash automation and unified finance operations
Paris
Quadient (Euronext Paris: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, announced today it has been recognized for the fifth consecutive year as a Leader in the 2026 SPARK Matrix™ for Accounts Receivable Applications by technology analyst and advisory firm QKS Group. Quadient strengthened its position in the report year-over-year, with a notable improvement in Technology Excellence, reflecting continued innovation in its AI-driven invoice-to-cash solution.
According to QKS Group, Quadient’s leadership position highlights its evolution into a comprehensive, AI-powered platform that delivers strong predictive accuracy and straight-through processing. The analyst firm also emphasized the capability of Quadient’s solutions to unify accounts receivable (AR) and accounts payable (AP), offering finance leaders greater visibility and insights into their business finances to make faster, better decisions on working capital management.
Earlier this month, Quadient announced the release of its new cash dashboard capability for AR and AP that allows finance teams to bring together traditionally siloed data in a single view. An AI assistant summarizes key metrics and provides analysis that helps finance leaders accelerate cash on hand, improve forecasting, reduce risk and uncover opportunities to optimize working capital.
“Quadient has established a strong position in the 2026 Accounts Receivable Automation market through its focus on intelligent automation, cash flow optimization and integrated financial operations,” said Sanjeevi C R, associate vice president, Enterprise Research at QKS Group. “The platform’s evolution from predictive analytics to AI-driven autonomous collections execution represents a meaningful step forward in reducing manual effort across the invoice-to-cash cycle. What differentiates Quadient is its ability to combine collections management, cash application, and payment processing with a unified accounts receivable and accounts payable ecosystem, providing finance leaders with a more holistic view of working capital performance. By enabling greater automation, enhanced cash flow visibility, and more efficient receivables operations, Quadient continues to deliver measurable value for organizations seeking to modernize their financial processes and improve liquidity management.”
QKS Group highlighted the following key strengths for Quadient AR:
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